Monthly Archives: July 2013

Bad Dads

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“Presence is more than just being there.”

—Malcolm Forbes

Essay compliments of Savvy Dad friend David Hirsch.

GOOD DADS

At times we don’t know what to do. But that’s OK. Our kids know one thing for sure. We care. We’re there.

Bad dads

Sad young girl

Making mistakes, too. It’s just part of life. It works out just fine. Why? Our kids know. We care. We’re there.

Tough love? It’s hard for us, hard on our kids. But it works out. Why? Our kids know. We care. We’re there.

Often we wonder. Are we doing it right? It’s hard to gauge. Until we read something like this about bad dads.

The words of a girl whose dad walked away. He didn’t care. He wasn’t there. It’s by Guadalupe, an 8th grader in Chicago, Illinois.

The assignment? Write a short essay on “What My Dad Means To Me.” READ MORE 

Animal Dads — The Good, The Bad, The Savvy

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“A happy family is but an earlier heaven.”

George Bernard Shaw

by Greg Hague

Animal dads. Human dads. Different in ways. A lot just the same.

Most dads face similar challenges. Wives who know more than we do. Kids who don’t have a clue. (They probably do. What do we know?) Some dads (animal & human) risk life and limb just to mate. And some — well, they’re just total flakes.

From awful to awesome, let’s take a look at a few animal dads. The good, the bad, and the savviest of those non-human heads of their home (or pack). We humans may not always do right, but hey — at least we don’t gobble our young with an un-fatherly bite.

The Good — Wolves

Animal dads, wolves

Family time with Gray Wolves.
Photo: Steve Jurvetson.

Wolves are playful, protective dads. They’re also loyal, loving partners. The usually monogamous alpha male may stay with his alpha she-wolf for life. The alpha male and female are typically the only ones who will breed in a pack, until the “crown” is passed on to a new pair.

During courtship, the young “lovers-in-wait” grow close and affectionate. They often play together, even sleeping side-by-side. As mating season approaches, their bond becomes ever stronger. READ MORE 

Shifting for Life

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“Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now.”

— Alan Lakein

Today’s story is from Stan Snyder.

My father taught me to drive a stick shift

Stan driving an ambulance

A typical day in the life of a teenage me. Dad and I doing battle. His goal? Make me miserable.

“You will learn to drive a stick,” Dad emphatically said. “You’ll learn, or you won’t drive at all.”

“What’s the point?” I protested. “I’m buying an automatic.”

(I’d saved up for years. A few blocks away sat a perfectly decent automatic sedan. My aunt had promised it to me once I’d saved up the money. Dad knew that.)

But my father wouldn’t let up… READ MORE